Germany-defence-Mali-unrest

Germany-defence-Mali-unrest
Germany agrees to send more troops to Mali
Berlin, Jan 11, 2017 (AFP) - The German government decided Wednesday to
raise the number of troops deployed to Mali as part of a UN mission that is
known as the world's most dangerous.
The UN's Mali mission, also known as MINUSMA, regularly comes under attack
from jihadists. Last year alone, more than 30 troops were killed, more than in
any other UN peacekeeping mission.
MINUSMA is tasked with monitoring a peace deal between the government and
northern rebels in the west African country.
The German cabinet agreed Wednesday to raise the limit for troop deployment
to the country from 650 to 1,000.
The additional soldiers are meant to take over an emergency rescue mission
in northern Mali that is currently under the command of the Netherlands.
Four helicopters for transporting injured as well as four combat
helicopters will also be deployed.
Northern Mali fell under the control of Al-Qaeda-linked groups in 2012.
The Islamists were largely ousted by a French-led military operation
launched in January 2013, but large swathes of Mali remain lawless and prone
to attacks.
If Berlin does end up sending 1,000 troops to Mali, then the deployment
would be Germany's biggest abroad.
To date, its biggest deployment has been to Afghanistan, where around 890
German soldiers are currently stationed.
The cabinet also extended to January 2018 a mission in northern Iraq, where
150 German soldiers are training Kurdish fighters for combat against Islamic
State jihadists.
The German army has already trained around 12,000 Kurdish fighters, as well
as others from groups such as the Yazidi minority.
The new deployment plans would still require parliamentary approval, but
are unlikely to meet with any resistance as Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling
right-left coalition has a crushing majority.
hmn/mfp/ric